Under Pressure: Why You May Not Realise the Importance of Air in Your Tyres
You may understand that you need to maintain the correct amount of air pressure in your tyres. However, what are the possible consequences involved if you don't look after this crucial metric?
The Importance of Air
While the tyres on your car are very carefully engineered and manufactured with high levels of quality control, they're nevertheless only a container. The full weight of your vehicle is being carried by the compressed air that sits inside the tyres and the volume of air is therefore the most critical. If the amount of air that you have in your tyre is not optimum then all the fancy springs and shock absorbers and the most expensive radial covers on the market will count for little.
In truth, very few people check the air in their tyres as often as the manufacturers recommend, which is generally once per week. Many people never do this at all and this carelessness could be costing them in the wallet or purse.
What Happens with Improper Inflation
Tyres that are improperly inflated will wear down far more quickly. If you have too little air, then the edges will wear down more than the centre. The opposite is also true. If you have too much in the tyres, then the centre will bulge and wear down more than the edges. As a consequence, when you next take your vehicle in for an inspection, this type of abnormal wear may become evident and you may have to fork out for new tyres before the due time.
The Importance of Numbers
The manufacturer of the vehicle you drive has spent millions of dollars calculating ideal tolerances for many items of equipment, including the tyres. The amount of work that these companies have put in should not be underestimated. This is because there is a close correlation between the weight, performance and specification of the vehicle and the safety provided by its properly inflated tyres. If the correct tyre pressure was not identified in normal driving circumstances, then there would be a danger that the tyres could overheat and fail.
Consider the Bigger Picture
When you consider the consequences and how much effort the manufacturers put into developing their air pressure numbers, then it puts it into perspective. As an owner, you should realise that not only could you be spending more for your tyres than you need to through poor maintenance, but you could be risking tyre failure at high speed in certain circumstances.
Keep up with Maintenance
Hopefully you will appreciate the value of the thin air that goes inside your car tyres, as part of an overall good maintenance regime for your vehicle.
